Going Home
by shmandiix
Summary: Jackie Burkhart has a good life in Chicago. A great job,an amazing daughter,and great friends. But a horrible accident has Jackie returning to the place she left almost six years ago, and facing mistakes she never wanted to face. might finish this soon
1. News

I do intend on updating "Face Down" very soon, so thank you for all of your reviews. This story kind've came to me last night when I was watching reruns of the show.

**Going Home**

"Have a good trip" were the last words Steven Hyde spoke to her. That was nearly six years ago. Then she was gone. Chicago became her home. She never completely got over him, but she dated. Mostly though, she buried herself inside her work, and being a single mother to her daily reminder of the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She'd taken the job she'd been offered in Chicago, and a month and a half later she discovered that she was pregnant. She continued to work as an assistant to the star of Chicago's highest rated morning show. In the summer of 1980 Jackie gave birth to Emma Katherine Burkhart. She eventually moved up to being the co host on her morning show, and was now a very well known face in Chicago.

Jackie had never returned to Point Place, and she rarely ever spoke to any of her friends. She sent a Christmas card to Donna and the Formans every year, but never left a return address. Basically, she had cut everyone out of her life. She always wondered what would've been, what if he had asked her to stay, what if she had never gotten pregnant, but for the most part, she was happy. She loved her daughter more than anything, and Emma was worth everyone in her life.

**Chapter One-News**

Today was like any other day for the twenty five year old girl, after dropping Emma off at her babysitters, she was off to the station for her read through, make up, and then the show. Walking in, a few people waved and smiled.

"Morning Jackie" Rosalie, Jackies assistant smiled from her desk.

"Any messages?" Jackie questioned, stopping in front of the young girls desk. A few months ago, her last assistant had quit, and Jackie had taken a chance on the nineteen year old girl who reminded her of herself at that age.

"Actually, you got a call about twenty minutes ago" Rosalie told her, looking for the piece of paper, "a lady named Kitty Forman" the blonde smiled, "she said its really important.. and she wouldn't call unless it was an emergency" she finished, handing her the number. Jackies stomach dropped at the mention of the name. She hadn't seen Kitty Forman since she'd left Point Place almost six years ago. Everyone from her home town had given up calling the station after the first year of Jackie rejecting their phone calls.

"Did she say what was wrong?" Jackie finally choked out, but the girl shook her head.

"No, she sounded pretty upset though..Wanted you to call her as soon as you could" Rose told her.

"Thanks Rose" the now blank faced brunette said, walking into her office and closing the door behind her. Sitting at her desk, Jackie sighed. She looked at the pictures she had on her desk, mostly of herself and Emma. But there was an old photo taken seven years ago taped to the edge of her desk. It was Thanksgiving at the Formans, and Kitty insisted on getting a family picture. It was Red and Kitty Forman, crowded around them was all of the Formans children. Of course, Eric was the only one that was theirs, but they claimed the rest as their own.

She smiled running her finger tips across the photo before dialing the familiar number, they'd never changed it. It rang, and rang, it felt like an hour before Jackie finally heard the tearful voice of her adopted mother.

"Mrs. Forman?" she said quietly.

"Jackie?" the older woman asked, as if she was completely shocked, "I didn't think you'd call back.."

"Rosalie said it was an emergency.. I wanted to make sure everyone was okay" Jackie said honestly, the silence on the end of the line made her heart almost stop.

"I wish everyone was" Kitty told her honestly, "sweetie, its Fez"

"Wh.. what happened? Is he going to be okay?" Jackie asked nervously, it suddenly felt like it was hard to breathe.

"We're not sure..its not looking good though" she said tearfully, "he was going home from the bar the other night, it was Michaels engagement party" she rushed to explain, "he'd been drinking and hit a tree.." Jackie forced herself not to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Oh my god" she sighed, not knowing what else she could say.

"I figured you'd want to know.. I'm sorry I didn't have better news dear"

"I.. I don't know what to say.. you don't know if hes going to make it?" Even if Jackie hadn't seen the boy who once worshiped the ground she walked on in years, she couldn't imagine him not being alive.

"They're doing another surgery to try to repair the damage tonight.. but if it doesn't go well, he won't make it through the night" Jackie knew how hard it was for Kitty to even say those words.

"I'm on my way" Jackie finally said after a moment of silence.

"Oh dear.. I wish it was under better circumstances, but it'll be so good to see you" the older lady was now in tears.

"I know, I'll see you later Mrs. Forman" Jackie promised before hanging up the phone.

Jackie sat in silence for about five minutes before Rosalie came through the door.

"Jackie, they're ready for you to do the read through" she said, but had a concerned look as soon as she saw the pained look on her bosses face, "are you okay?"

"No" Jackie answered honestly, "I'm not doing the show today"

"What, is everything okay?" Rosalie was in full panic mode now.

"No, its not" Jackie sighed, not meaning to take things out on Rosalie, "call Mrs. Heartford and tell her I'm on my way to pick up Emma"

"But what about the show..?" the blonde was clearly confused.

"Rose, I trust you, you've watched me for months, you do the show until I get back.. I'm not sure when that will be, but I need to go now" Jackie was trying to stay calm.

"Um, okay.. but what do I tell the others?" Jackie shook her head.

"Tell them if they have any problems with who I've chosen to take my place why I take my first vacation in over five years than they'll deal with me when I get back" she spat, and Rosalie was off to make her phone calls.

After packing bags for both her and Emma, and going to get Emma from her babysitters, Jackie was on the road and on the way back to the place she never wanted to step foot in again. But she knew if she didn't go, and Fez actually died, she'd feel guilty for the rest of her life. She needed to be there for her friends, for her family, even if it meant causing herself pain.

"Mommy, where are we going?" A small voice in the backseat asked, Jackie looked in her rear view mirror at the five year old and faked a smile. She looked so much like him, even with Jackies dark long hair, those eyes were his. Those baby blue eyes.

"We're going home baby" she said quietly, seeing the confused look on her daughters face. The car ride was mostly silent, and seemed to drag on. Finally though, by noon, Jackie finally saw the "Welcome to Point Place" sign. Being back on the all too familiar streets of her hometown seemed like a dream to her, she wished all of this was just a dream. Jackie figured that everyone was probably at the hospital, so thats the first place she went.

"Is someone sick mommy?" Emma asked once she'd gotten out of the car.

"Yeah baby" Jackie said sadly, "a really good friend of mommy's is very sick right now" she told the little girl.

"Are they gonna be okay?" the blue eyed girl asked, taking Jackies hand.

"I hope so" Jackie said quietly, walking with her daughter through the doors. "You've got to be really good here okay? You're going to meet a lot of new people.. so be nice"

"Okay" was all the little girl said.

"Can I help you Ms.?" a nurse questioned, it was then that it occurred to Jackie that she didn't even know Fez's real name.

"I.. um" Jackie started, "I'm looking for someone.. is Kitty Forman here?"

"Shes with her family" the nurse said sternly, "her sons friend isn't out of surgery yet.. I'm not sure they want to see anyone"

"No, she wants to see me" Jackie promised, "I'm.. part of the family"

The nurse frowned, looking at Jackie and then at Emma but finally caved.

"Its on the third floor, they're in the waiting room" she told them. Jackie smiled sadly before walking towards the elevator.

"Mommy, are we seeing family?" Emma questioned, looking a bit nervous.

"Yeah sweetie, these are the people who helped take care of mommy when she was a kid" Jackie explained, picking up the little girl as they entered the elevator.

"Will they like me?" her daughter asked, and Jackie couldn't help but smile, even with everything going on in her mind.

"They'll love you, I promise" and she knew that was true. Everyone would love her, except maybe Steven Hyde.


	2. Discoveries

Thanks for the reviews! Hopefully you enjoy this chapter. There is a reason I'm updating so quickly.. I'm hoping to get this story finished before I leave on vacation next month.. And this one is kind've easier to write than "Face Down", but that one is being updating right now as well.

Chapter Two-Discoveries

Stepping out of the elevator with Emma in her arms, Jackie looked around the familiar hospital. She could remember every time she'd had to come to this place. Every time one of the boys had fallen off the water tower, or an idea gone wrong. It had never been anything serious, a sprained wrist or a broken bone, but this time everything seemed so real. One of her best friends could be living the last hours of his life, the thought alone brought tears to Jackies eyes.

"Mommy, don't cry" Emma said sadly, wiping away a stray tear from Jackies cheek. Jackie hated crying in front of Emma, it always upset her. But she couldn't hold back the tears anymore as she walked slowly through the familiar hallway to the waiting room. She had no idea what to expect, she knew everyone would be angry with her. Finally she spotted them and her stomach suddenly hurt. The first person she noticed was Kitty, trying to pull herself together as she sat next to Red, he looked more upset than Jackie had ever seen him. Donna had her head on Erics shoulder, and in Erics lap was a little boy who looked about three. Brooke was next to Donna with Betsy in her lap as Michael paced the floor. Finally she saw him, her Steven, his sunglasses were on, and he had a blank look on his face as he sat next to Bob. She stopped and stared for a moment before Kitty finally saw her, the mother figured jumped out of her seat and rushing towards Jackie. She set Emma back on her feet before she got embraced by the woman, closing her eyes as she heard the gasps from the crowded waiting room.

"Jackie.." Donna said standing up, of course she was angry with her once best friend, but at a time like this she was glad to see her. Once Kitty once set her free, Donnas arms were around her, and both of the girls were now sobbing. Finally they let go and all eyes were on Jackie, actually most of them were on Emma, whose hand was clenched tightly onto Jackie's shirt. After a few minutes of silence and stares, Jackie finally decided it was time to say something.

"This is Emma" she choked out, wiping her tears away as she knelt to be at eye level with her daughter. Everyone tried their best to smile, but in this situation it was hard.

"Hi sweetie" Kitty finally said, smiling down at the miniature Jackie, "I'm Kitty, I'm your.." the lady searched for the words when Jackie finally finished for her.

"shes your grandmother baby" Jackie offered Kitty a smile, and the older woman was already tearing up again. Just one look in those baby blue eyes and she knew the truth that Jackie wasn't telling.

"Oh my" she said, looking at Steven who still hadn't stood up, or even moved an inch.

"I'm your Aunt Donna" the redhead smiled, "want to meet your cousins?" she questioned, holding her hand out to the little girl.

Emma looked up at Jackie, seeing if it was okay. When Jackie finally nodded, Emma took the hand of her mothers best friend.

"This is Timothy" Donna told her, and the little boy in Eric's lap hid his face into his fathers chest, "and this is Betsy"

"Hi" Betsy smiled, Jackie was amazed at how much she looked like Michael.

"Guys, this is Emma, shes your cousin" Donna said, "Betsy, why don't you take Timmy and Emma over to the play area"

"Okay, come on guys" Betsy, who was now almost seven smiled. Eric put Timmy down on the floor, watching as Betsy took his hand and the three went off to the corner where all the toys were.

Jackie made her way over towards her old friends, Michael finally offered her a smile.

"Jacks" he sighed, pulling her into a hug, "I never thought I'd see you again.." he breathed into her ear. Once she pulled away, she looked over at Brooke and offered her a sad smile.

"Its good to see you again Jackie.. not in this situation but.." Brooke didn't finish her sentence.

"You guys are really going to act like nothing happened?" Hyde finally stood up and said, rather loudly, "forgive her just like that?" he said, finally looking at Jackie.

"Steven.. I" she started but he stopped her.

"Don't bother" he mumbled, storming off and down the hall.

Jackie didn't know what to say, it felt like she couldn't breathe, and all she wanted to do was cry.

"You guys.. I'm so sorry" she choked out, looking at the faces of her once friends.

"I'll go after him" Eric said standing, glancing at Jackie for a second, "don't take it too personal.. hes had a hard time since you left" he told her before walking off to find his adopted brother. Those few words ripped through Jackie like a knife. He had a hard time? All he had said was have a good trip. A good fucking trip. And now she was the bad guy, because she never came back?

"How old is she?" Donna finally asked, breaking the silence.

"She turned five in July" Jackie admitted, the looks in everyones eyes made her know that they knew, that he knew.

"Shes beautiful" Brooke told her, and Jackie offered her a tearful smile.

"I didn't want you guys to find out like this" she cried, sitting down in the spot that Eric had gotten up from.

"Did you want us to find at all?" Donna asked, it seemed harsh, but it was the truth.

"I thought he'd come after me" Jackie cried, "I didn't even know until I was in Chicago for almost two months..but he never came, and I didn't know how to tell him. I didn't know how to tell any of you"

"Jackie" Donna said softly, as angry as she was, she understood everything Jackie had said. She took her friend into her arms, letting her cry.

"Donna, why don't you keep an eye on the kids while me and Jackie go for a while" Mrs Forman finally said, Jackie looked up at the woman who had taken care of her for all of those years.

"Of course" Donna agreed, letting go of Jackie.

"Come on Jackie" Kitty said, taking the young womans hand.

They headed towards the elevators in silence, Kitty never letting go of her hand though, and finally Jackie looked over at the woman to speak.

"Her names Emma Katherine, after you" she spoke quietly, seeing a hint of a smile on Kitty's face, "you were more of a mother to both of us than our own mothers were.. I knew he'd want it that way" she explained.

"Thank you Jackie" Kitty said as the two stepped into the elevator, "you don't know how much that means to me"

"I wanted to come home so many times" Jackie promised, "but I was too scared. I didn't know what he'd say.. what he'd think. If he'd want her, if he'd want me" the thought brought more tears to her mismatched eyes, "I didn't want you and Red to be disappointed in me, I didn't want you to think I was trying to trap him" she explained.

"Oh sweetie.." Kitty sighed, "I always knew there was a reason you never came back.. I just never thought.." she looked to the much younger girl and smiled, "we could never be disappointed in you for that.. We love you like our own, Emma is our grandchild.. You are both welcome in our home whenever you'd like"

"What do you think hes going to do?" Jackie questioned as the elevator doors opened, and right in front of her stood Steven Hyde.

"I think we have some things to talk about" He said simply, and Eric looked at his mom hopefully.

"I know" Jackie whispered, stepping next to him.

"Well.. We'll be going" Kitty said, grabbing her sons arm and pulling him into the elevator. And as soon as the doors closed, Jackie felt a new nervousness.

"Come on, lets go for a drive" he mumbled. She didn't know what else to do, so she followed him.

The ride was silent, but finally they pulled up to a familiar place, a place Jackie had been so many times before. Stepping out of the car she looked over at him, his face was still the same, she still couldn't read anything on his face. Damn the zen master.

"Is she.." he started, staring up at the water tower.

"Yes, Steven, shes your daughter" Jackie admitted in a whisper.

"Damn it Jackie!" he screamed, turning to look at her, "how could you not tell me?!"

"I'm sorry!" she screamed back, "I didn't know how, you didn't want me! You're the one that said goodbye!"

"I wasn't ready to get MARRIED" his voice was still loud, "that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to know you were having my fucking kid!"

"Do you even hear yourself right now?!" She questioned, all of the anger from the past six years coming back up, "you couldn't even fucking commit to me! And you want me to believe you would've been there every step of the way with Emma?"

"I would've been there Jackie." he said, his voice getting a little quieter, "I can understand you not telling me right away.. but you've been gone for almost six years, you cut us all out of your life, and not once you didn't think about calling to say, 'oh congrats, you're a father'?!"

"You think I didn't think about that every single day?" she glared, "every fucking day Steven, I wake up, and I look at Emma, and all I see is you! And I wonder if things could've been different, but they're not"

"You should have told me" Hydes voice was nearly a whisper now, "I would've been there Jackie"

"I'm sorry" she mumbled, hiding her eyes with her hands, trying to keep the tears away.

A few minutes of silence drug by, both of them not knowing what the next step would be. Finally Hyde looked over at his crying ex girlfriend and sighed, he had so many questions for her.

"Whats she like?" he finally said quietly, "does she know about me?" he asked, sitting on the hood of the El Camino.

"Shes amazing" Jackie smiled, sitting next to him, "shes so smart, sometimes I can't believe she came from me" she admitted.

"Tell me about her.." he was almost begging now, he never imagined being a dad, but now, after seeing that little girl, it made him wonder.

"Her names Emma Katherine" she told him, "she was born on July 14th 1980..she has her dads eyes"

"Katherine?" he questioned, looking up at her, "after?" he watched her nod and couldn't help but smile a little.

"Her first word was 'bitch" Jackie admitted with a little chuckled, "when she was a baby, the only way she'd sleep through the night was if I played a Led Zeppelin album"

"She doesn't know about me does she?" He finally asked, though he was very amused by the facts about his daughter.

"No" Jackie admitted, "I never knew what to tell her.. I couldn't say you didn't want her, it would kill her.. I couldn't tell her you didn't know.. she'd ask why..so every time she asked about you, I changed the subject"

Hyde understood, but it still hurt. He was so confused, one day he was a single guy living in the basement of his adopted parents house, and now he was a father to a five year old.

"We should get back to the hospital" he said after a few more minutes.

"Yeah" Jackie agreed, looking up at the water tower again before climbing into the passengers seat.

The ride back to the hospital was silent, both of them too lost in thought to say anything. The talk had gone better than Jackie had expected, but she still didn't know where things stood. She knew he was still angry, and he had every right to be. But she had no idea what to do now, whether she should tell Emma, or even if he wanted in her life.

"Mommy!" Emma said, running up to Jackie as soon as she spotted her.

"Hey baby" she smiled, picking the girl up before glancing back at Hyde. Emma looked over at him and smiled, and as soon as he looked into those blue eyes Steven Hyde fell in love.


	3. Broken

Thanks for the reviews guy :) I'm really addicted to writing this story.. though chapter two of "Face Down" is coming along I promise! Sorry this is so short!

**Chapter Three-Broken**

Everyone sat in silence, no one sure of what to say as they waited for news on Fez. It seemed like the minutes drug on, and finally a nurse approached the group.

"How is he?" Kitty asked quickly at her co worker.

"Hes stable.. The surgery went well, but we're still not sure if it was a complete success" she explained, "you can see him if you want, but no more than three at a time,hes in room 315"

Everyones eyes shifted towards Jackie, she was the only one who hadn't seen him yet. The others had been in and out of his room for the past few days. Jackie stood with Emma still in her arms, and placed the little girl back in the chair next to Donna.

"Em, stay here with Aunt Donna and Grandma Kitty" she said, kneeling to the ground to face her daughter, "I'll be back soon"

Emma just nodded, looking up at her mother as she stood up and walked to find the room. The little girl was pretty quiet, she had never met any of these people, she had only seen them in the picture in her moms office. Jackie made her way through the hospital hallway slowly, not knowing what to expect. Finally she stood in front of his room, trying to find enough strength to actually go inside. Walking through the doors Jackie felt her stomach drop, and when she finally saw her friend, her heart completely broke.

"Oh Fezzie" she whispered, seeing the gashes and bruises all over his face. Most of his body was covered, but his right leg was lifted off the bed in a cast, and his left arm was wrapped up. She couldn't believe it was him, he didn't even look like himself. "What have you done to yourself?" she questioned, hating the silence in the room. She walked closer and took a seat in a chair next to him. She carefully let her fingers trail over his hand before holding on to it loosely.

"I'm so sorry I left.." she began, knowing that on some level, he was listening. Fez always listened, even when no one else did, "I made a pretty big mess of things buddy" she admitted, "you have a god daughter though.. her names Emma, and shes five" as Jackie told her unconscious friend this, she felt tears beginning to form in her eyes, "I know you're going to love her.. she looks a lot like me, but she has Stevens eyes..you have to wake up Fez" she finally said, now letting her tears fall freely, "it wasn't suppose to be like this, we were all suppose to grow up together, we were suppose to stay in each others lives.. I know I left, and I'm so sorry" most of her words were now running together, and her cries became sobs. But then something happened that made Jackie jump, she felt his hand squeezing hers back softly. She looked up at him, his eyes still closed peacefully. "I missed you everyday" she promised in a whisper, knowing that he could hear her, "I'm not going anywhere this time"

Jackie sat there holding Fez's hand for what seemed like hours, but in reality it was only about forty five minutes, finally the nurse came in and Jackie decided it was time for her to leave. She made her way out to the waiting room, but what she saw made her want to cry even more, only this time they were good tears. Steven Hyde sat in a chair next to Donna and Eric, a tiny brunette little girl asleep on his lap with her head on his shoulder. Jackie couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

"Hey" she said quietly, sitting down next to him.

"She was pretty tired" he explained in a soft whisper.

"Yeah, her nap time was about an hour ago.." Jackie smiled, watching her little girl move a little.

"We can take her to the Formans if you want.. She can sleep in Lauries old room" he offered, seeing a look of surprise on Jackies face.

"We?" she questioned, hiding the smile that threatened her lips.

"I figured we could use the time to talk.." he explained, a little uncomfortably, he had always hated talking.

Jackie just nodded as she stood up, "we can take my car" she said before saying her goodbyes to the rest of the group. Red and Kitty planned on staying, Kelso and Brooke were going to take Betsy and Timmy to get something to eat so that Eric and Donna could stay as well. Hyde stood up carefully, trying not to wake the sleeping girl. Even in the horrible situations, no one could hide their grins very well as they watched Jackie and Hyde walk down the hallway with Emma, it seemed like they belonged together.

The car ride to the Formans was pretty quiet, neither of them knew what to say, and they were both dreading the talk they would have. But they knew it was important, it wasn't just about them anymore, it was about Emma. As shocking as the news of his daughter was, it wasn't like Hyde could let her walk out of his life now, he'd regret that the rest of his life. Hyde carried a sleeping Emma upstairs to Lauries room before returning downstairs to face Jackie. It was hard to be angry with the girl when he thought about all she must have gone through being a single mother, but at the same time if she would've told him things could have been different.

"So" Jackie said as he sat down next to her, "you're really good with her."

"Betsy and Timmy are good practice" he admitted with a little shrug.

"Steven, what are we going to do?" she finally asked after a few moments of silence.

"I don't Jackie.. I don't" he sighed, "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the idea of being a father"

"I know you're still angry with me, and I understand that" she told him, looking up at him, "but this isn't about us. Its not about our past, and the mistakes we made.. its about her"

"I know, I just don't know.." he said quietly, "I don't know if I'd be good enough for her"

Those words broke Jackie's heart, "Steven, I didn't keep this from you because I thought you'd bail on me, or be a bad father" she promised.

"Then why?" he wondered.

"I didn't want it to seem like I trapped you" she told him quietly, "you didn't want to get married, so I trap you with a child? I'd have to think about that every day, and wonder if the only reason you were with me was because you thought it was the right thing to do."

"Were you ever going to tell me?" he asked, understanding her reasoning. But just because he understood it didn't mean he agreed.

"Honestly?" she questioned, "I don't know.. I wanted to, so many times.. Once, I even packed up the car, and started driving towards Point Place.. I got about halfway and completely freaked out. Emma was six months old then.. I thought about telling you every day, I even argued with you in my head about it.. But when it came down to doing it, I was too afraid."

Hyde let her words sink in, if she had gone through with telling him, he wondered where they'd be now. If they'd still be together, if they would've gotten married, had more kids. Even if he couldn't picture it six years ago, he could see it now. A house with a white fence, kids playing in the front yard, him and Jackie sitting on a porch swing together.

"I want her in my life" he finally told her, and Jackie nodded.

"I had a feeling you would..and I want you in her life." Jackie smiled, "I just don't know how its going to work.. I can't just walk away from my life in Chicago, and you can't just walk away from the store"

"We'll figure it out" he hoped but then changed the subject, "how'd it go with Fez?" he knew it couldn't have been easy for her to see him like that.

"I think hes going to pull through" she smiled sadly, "he has too, Emma needs a chance to meet her god father"

"Wait.. you want Fez..of all people.. to be the god father to our child?" he asked, looking at her like she was completely insane, "why.."

Jackie couldn't help but giggle a little, it did seem a little strange, "because Fez loved me when I thought no one could" she explained softly, "sure, he got a little annoying, but when I had no one to turn to, Fez was there.." Hyde nodded, he knew that was the truth, Fez had always adored Jackie. He had helped her put the pieces when he and Kelso had broken her completely.

"I'm gonna go grab something from the Hub, want anything?" he questioned, he really needed to get out of there, then it occurred to him that he didn't have his car with him. But Jackie was one step ahead, she held her car keys out to him and smile.

"Cheeseburger and fries but" she started but was cut off.

"no pickles" he finished, rolling his eyes as he stood up, "what about for Emma?"

"Anything with chicken" she smiled, watching him nod before walking out the front door.

Jackie stood up looking around the Formans livingroom, everything was exactly the same. It was a little strange, but also comforting. Everything else in her life had changed so drastically over the past six years, it was nice to come home to a place that was always the same. She wondered around the house, noticing the only things that had really changed were updated pictures. Finally she found herself in the basement, a place that brought back too many memories to count. It was the basement that everything started with her and Steven. She couldn't think of a single memory from her teenage years that didn't end up with six kids sitting on a beat up couch by the night. Curiosity got the best of her and she slowly made her way into Hydes room. Everything was just like she remembered, she sat down on the small bed and felt her foot kick something under the bed. Without thinking she reached under to see what it was. It was a black shoe box, and Jackie being nosey opened it, everything inside made Jackie's head swirl with memories.

So many pictures, letters, just little things from the past. The picture on top was one he'd taken of her on their one year anniversary. She was sitting cross legged on his bed, in a pair of black elastic shorts and the Led Zeppelin t-shirt he'd given her for her birthday. Her face was clear of make up, and her hair was a mess, and on her face was his sunglasses. She smiled at the memory, it had been one of the few times he had actually told her he loved her. She picked up the rest of the stack of pictures, but what she found at the bottom of the box completely shocked her. Jackie picked up the white gold ring and looked at it, it had a glittery decent sized diamond in it.

"Oh my god" she whispered to herself, slipping it on her finger. Perfect fit. She heard a car door and jumped, taking the ring off and throwing it back in the box. She quickly put the box back under his bed and ran up the stairs before he found her. She had just jumped on the couch when he came through the front door, but seemed not to notice that she was out of breath. Her mind was racing with thoughts. He had bought a ring. He did want to marry her. Did, as in past tense. But if he didn't care anymore, why would he still have it? Why would he have an entire box dedicated to her if he didn't care about her anymore?

"Hungry?" he questioned, giving her a confused look. Emma bounced down the stairs and ran to sit next to her mother.

"Starving" Jackie said after taking a deep breath, looking over at Emma.


	4. Faith

Thanks for all of the reviews guys, I'm really glad you all like this story! I'm sorry I haven't updated "Face Down".. I tend to only be able to write things like that when I'm in this weird mood.. but I'm working on the update. Until then, I'll try to update this as much as possible, I'm kind've addicted to it. I'm going to try to get it done before December 18th, because I'll be out of town and unable to update for three weeks. Anyways, I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

Oh, also I've been reading a lot of Jackie/Eric stories.. and though I am a Zennie, I found myself a little addicted. So, be on the look out to a little one shot I've been working on..Its from their high school days, and based off a One Tree Hill episode called "Pictures of You".

Oh, obviously in this, Eric never went to Africa.

&& another A/N sorry its taken me a few days to update this again, after Thanksgiving my best friend & I went on a little road trip to see my brother.. Ended up getting really drunk, and almost getting arrested haha. But we made it out of our almost DUI and MICs.. not to mention a few other things! Plus I'm dealing with a bunch of boy drama and have been out of my house a lot lately..Anyways, enjoy.

**Chapter Four-Faith**

Days passed, the awkward conversations were now more friendly. The apologies were accepted, but there was still a darkness lingering around the Forman home. Jackie and Hyde didn't talk much, it was hard to come up with the words to say to each other. Emma still had no idea the curly haired man who she had been tagging along with was her father, and the more time Hyde spent with his daughter, the more fears he had about when she did find out. The doctors had said Fez was stable, that the surgery had went well, and all you could do was wait for him to wake up. Even though Jackie had planned on getting a hotel room, Kitty refused to let her, so she and Emma stayed in Lauries room.

It was a little past two in the morning, and everyone in the house was sound asleep, including Emma who was curled up next to Jackie. Looking down at the little girl Jackie smiled before kissing her forehead softly, climbing out of the bed. She made her way down the stairs quietly, she hadn't been able to sleep much in the past few days she'd been in her home town. She walked towards the kitchen, stopping to look at all of the pictures again. It seemed like every time she saw the old pictures her heart ached, everything seemed so much easier then. It seemed like she was in a daze when she found herself tiptoeing town the stairs to the basement, she smiled a bit when she spotted the familiar man in his usual spot on the couch.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned, sitting next to the boy who she had never become very close to.

"Just needed a place to think" Eric Forman shrugged, looking at what seemed like the ghost of a girl he once disliked. Jackie just nodded, unsure of what to say. She and Eric had never been close, but still cared about him. After all, without him, her entire life would be different. His basement was the start of everything in her life, she always wondered why she hadn't been more of a friend to him.

"What did you mean the other day in the hospital?" she finally asked, "about him.."

Eric thought for a second before answering her, he wasn't sure he should be telling his best friends secrets, but there were some things he thought Jackie should know.

"He was a mess after you left.." Eric admitted, "the first few weeks, all he did was drink.. It was like you took some piece of him and he couldn't survive without it." he told her, seeing the sadness on her face, "after his drinking binge, he came up with a plan.. and he went to Chicago" Jackies eyes grew wider, and more confused.

"But he.." she started but Eric shook his head.

"Let me finish. He went to the station, but you were busy.. So he waited, almost an hour of waiting and he finally saw you" Eric told her, "then he left. He said you looked too happy, too hopeful.. And that even if he did get you back, he'd never be able to give you the life you dreamed of."

"He really is a dumbass" Jackie said tearfully.

"He really wanted what was best for you, he wanted you to be happy. He always knew you wanted out of this town, that you were going to do greater things with your life than stick around a small town, we all knew."

Jackie shook her head, trying to calm herself down, "he was wrong." she simply stated, seeing the confused look on Erics face she went on, "I did want to get out of this town.. but my biggest dream, the one I would've given up everything for, didn't have anything to do with where I lived, or how much money I made.. I really just wanted to be happy, to be able to come home everyday and have someone waiting for me.."

"You're happy in Chicago though aren't you?" he asked, for once curious about her life.

"I am.. I love Emma, and I love my job. I have a few good friends.. but its not the same, you know?" she halfway smiled, "I wouldn't trade Emma for the world.. but I miss it here. I do. I miss the closeness. I miss being able to run here when I had a bad day and there would be five sets of eyes rolling at the reasons, but yet five sets of arms willing to offer a hug" she smiled, wiping the little tears from her eyes.

"What was the real reason you didn't come back? The real reason you didn't tell him.. or Donna for that matter"

"Theres more than just one reason.. the ones I've told everyone have been the truth" she promised, "but I guess there is more to the story than I've shared"

"I've got time" he offered, and she couldn't help but smile. This was only one of the handful of the times she'd talked to Eric about anything serious, but he had a way of making her feel at ease.

"I knew that Steven wouldn't marry me..and I loved him so much that I would give up everything for him. I know this sounds so selfish of me.. but I knew he'd do the right thing, and help me raise Emma. I also knew that we wouldn't be together, and that eventually we'd both move on. I loved him too much to be able to sit around and watch him be with someone else"

"Jackie, he was going to be with you" Eric finally told her, "he was going to marry you"

"I know that now" she sighed, still a little ashamed that she snooped.

"Wait.. you know?"

"I'm not proud of it.. but I snooped a little" she admitted with a tiny smile, "I was down here looking around and I got curious, I wanted to see if his room was still the same.. and I found a box"

"The Jackie box" Eric chuckled, "he doesn't know any of us know about it, but we've all seen it.."

"I looked through it.. and I found the ring" she added, looking down.

"I knew some of the same Jackie was still there" her old friend laughed.

"I wish I would have known then.. but I couldn't stay here and just hope that one day things would work out.. and after I had Emma, I knew I couldn't come back and just walk back into his life, and make it a happy little family.. that doesn't just happen, I thought he would've moved on, for all I knew he was married with another kid"

"But you're back now.. and to be honest, I think theres still hope for you two"

"I'm not sure about that, but at least Emma will get a chance to have a father" she smiled, that was all she could hope for now.

"You know Jackie, I remember that conversation we had about Donna when she first left for California.." Eric smiled, it was one of the only good memories that just the two of them shared, "you helped me a lot with a few little words, if it wasn't for that talk I'm not sure I would've gone to get her" he admitted.

"You two were always meant to be together," she promised, "no matter what I would've said.. she would've came back, you two would have found each other again"

"That might be true, but you are the one who finally got it through my head..'have a little faith Forman'" he smirked quoting her.

"Well, I'm glad I helped a little in your epic love story" she smiled standing up, "will you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Will you stick around and make sure Emma is okay if she wakes up? I need to do something.."

"Yeah, where are you going?" he questioned with a little smile.

"I'm going to go find my faith" she smirked winking at him as she walked out the basement door.

After watching Jackie walk out, Eric found his way up the stairs, seeing a sight that brought a smile to his face. He quickly went back into the kitchen, letting Emma and Hyde have their alone time.

"Do you know where my mommy went?" Emma questioned, a little upset that she wasn't there when she woke up.

"I don't know, but I'm sure she'll be back soon" he promised.

"I can't sleep unless shes here" the little girl pouted again.

"Well, we'll wait up for her then" he smiled, it amazed him how much like Jackie she was.

Emma smiled brightly, getting off the couch and going over to look at the pictures, "my mommy has this one in her office, but its the only one I've seen.. I use to ask who everyone was, all she would tell me was that besides me, they were the most important people in the world"

"Did she tell you anything else? Anything about your.. dad?" he knew he probably shouldn't have this conversation with a five year old, but he was curious.

Emma just shrugged a little, "Once, I asked her why Stephanie Matthews had a mommy and a daddy and I didn't.. and she said I did have a daddy, and that she loved him so much so she had to go" she told him, "she always says I have his eyes, and sometimes when I get in trouble she laughs and says 'you're just like your father'" Emma giggled, finishing her pretty impressive impression of Jackie. Hyde couldn't help but chuckle a little, he could actually see Jackie saying something like that.

"Do you want to see more pictures of your mom?" he questioned curiously, watching her eyes light up. He smiled, grabbing a photo album that Kitty had made a few months after Jackie had left. Everyone had missed her, but Kitty seemed to take it almost as hard as Hyde, saying it was like losing her own child. Emma curled back on the couch next to him, looking at the pictures happily.

"Theres a lot of you and my mom" she commented, turning the page.

"We were pretty close back then" he told her honestly, trying not to give too much away. But Emma didn't look to happy with his answer, so she took the album away and put it next to her.

"Why do you wear those sunglasses all the time?" she asked, a hopeful look on her face.

"I didn't even realize I still had them on" he tried, taking them off, but looking away from the little girl. But Emma didn't let him, instead she looked up at him smiling, her eyes widening as soon as she saw his eyes. And as much as he tried he couldn't look away from _his_ little girl.

"Our eyes match" she smiled, but said nothing else about it, but looking at the excitement on her face, it was easy for Hyde to tell that she knew. But what was better about her knowing, is that she didn't look disappointed.

**A/N I know this was very short! I will update again soon I promise!**


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